Claimed By The Rival Alpha

Chapter 83: Chapter 83

Selena

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the scent. It surrounded me so completely that for a few seconds, I forgot where I was.

It was strong, woody, warm, and unmistakably masculine. There was something wild beneath it, something that made my heart beat faster even before my mind had fully awakened.

Alpha Kael.

My eyes opened and I pushed myself upright, only to freeze. I wasn’t human.

My paws were planted against the damp earth, my claws digging lightly into the soil. A strange sensation ran through my body as I looked down at myself.

Black fur covered most of my body, but golden streaks shimmered beneath the moonlight. My body was long and slender, while my limbs were surprisingly short compared to the rest of me.

I stared at myself in disbelief. I had shifted. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was seeing my wolf again.

Then something moved beside me. I slowly turned and saw a massive black wolf standing several feet away.

Silver streaks ran through his thick mane, catching the moonlight whenever he moved. His shoulders were enormous, his legs powerful, and his entire presence radiated an authority that made the wolf inside me instinctively recognize him.

I should have been afraid. Instead, warmth spread through me.

"Selena." Alpha Kael’s voice sounded inside my mind.

I stared at him while I remained calm. His enormous head lowered slightly. "Follow me."

I blinked as I asked right back the already obvious question, "Is that you?"

A quiet amusement passed through our bond. "Who else would it be?"

I looked at his enormous body again. "You’re huge."

His ears twitched. "And you’re small."

I narrowed my eyes. "I am not small."

His tail moved lazily behind him. "Of course not." I knew he was teasing me but I followed him anyway.

We moved through the forest beneath the full moon. For a while, neither of us spoke. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt strangely peaceful after everything that had happened.

Then the moonlight seemed to grow warmer as heat spread through my body.

I felt restless. I moved closer to Alpha Kael until my side brushed against his enormous body.

He glanced down at me but I ignored him. Instead, I nudged his tail with my snout.

His tail moved away and I followed it. He looked back and I nudged it again.

"Selena."

I wagged my tail. "What?"

"Stop playing with my tail." He groaned.

I nudged it again making his ears flattened. "You are impossible."

I gave a playful growl then he suddenly turned around and bumped his nose against my shoulder.

I stumbled sideways then stared at him. "Did you just do that?"

"Do what?"

I lunged toward him but he moved away quickly so I chased him.

For the first time in what felt like years, I forgot about Alpha William, the vampires, the revolution, and the fear surrounding my life.

I was simply running with Alpha Kael.

We darted between the trees, brushing past shrubs and jumping over fallen branches. His massive body should have made him slower, but he moved with effortless strength.

I laughed through the mindlink. "Is this how wolves in your bloodline look?"

"No."

I glanced at him in surprise. "Then why are you so large?"

"Because I’m me." He said and it sounded more like a show off.

I snorted. "That’s not an answer."

He glanced toward me. "My family is not built like this."

I looked at his massive shoulders. "So you’re the only one?"

"Yeah... As far as I know."

I stared at him in surprise. "You’re telling me you’re the only enormous wolf in your family?"

"Yes."

I laughed before speaking again, "Then perhaps you’re the strange one."

His growl vibrated through the bond. "Careful."

I smiled. "My mother was slender too." I slowed slightly. "She looked like me."

Alpha Kael nodded. "Then perhaps you inherited it from her."

I smiled as another thought crossed my mind. I looked at his massive body. "You know, I don’t think you’d be able to outrun me."

He stopped and I stopped too. He looked at me like I was some joker.

"You really think so?" He finally asked with his wolf head tilted one side.

"I know so."

"You are very confident."

"Because I’m right."

He lowered his head. "I’ll give you a head start."

I quickly shook my head. "No!"

His ears lifted. "No?"

"We’ll start together." I said firmly.

He stared at me for a moment then amusement filled our bond. "Fine!"

We positioned ourselves beside one another. For a second, neither moved then I took off as the forest became a blur.

Branches whipped against my fur as I darted between trees. My paws barely seemed to touch the ground.

I didn’t look back. I didn’t care whether Alpha Kael was behind me.

I simply ran and It felt incredible. It had been so long since I had allowed my wolf to run freely.

The wind rushed through my fur while my heart raced. I laughed as I ran faster.

Then I suddenly realized something. Alpha Kael wasn’t beside me.

I slowed and looked around but he wasn’t in sight.

"Alpha Kael?" I called out but there was no answer.

I turned in a circle. "Kael?"

He appeared a moment later, walking casually between the trees as though he hadn’t been running at all.

I stared at him furiously. "You let me win!"

He said nothing, making me narrow my eyes. "You shouldn’t have done that!"

His expression through the bond remained unreadable, making me huff. "I don’t like that."

"You wanted to win."

"I didn’t want to win! I wanted to beat you!"

"And you did." He said it like it meant nothing.

I looked away but I wasn’t satisfied. Before I could argue further, silence settled between us again.

I remembered the vampire and my mood changed instantly. "Alpha Kael."

His ears moved. "Yes?"

"One vampire chased me."

"I know." He immediately said,

I stopped walking instantly. "You know?"

"Yes."

I stared at him before speaking again, "I killed him."

"I know that too." He said again.

My eyes widened in surprise. "How?"

He turned toward me. "I know what happened."

Confusion filled me and I couldn’t stop myself from asking. "You knew about Sera?"

Alpha Kael remained silent for a moment then he finally answered. "Sera is the last living member of House Clement."

I stared at him. "House Clement?"

"Yes. It’s one of the old great houses of Blackbourne."

My heart sank and I immediately understood why he hadn’t told me.

He didn’t want me to feel responsible because of what my father had done.

I lowered my head as I gritted out. "I hate him."

Alpha Kael didn’t respond as I added again. "I hate him so much." My throat tightened. "Sometimes I wish I wasn’t his daughter."

Alpha Kael moved closer, making me swallow nothing. "Sera hates me."

"She has every reason to hate what your father did and there are probably others."

I looked at him and couldn’t help but ask. "How many families did he destroy?"

Alpha Kael didn’t answer and that silence told me enough.

I lowered my head. "What happens now?"

"About the vampire Sera killed?" He asked and I nodded.

"We’ll make sure no one discovers what happened."

I looked at him. "How?"

"That’s actually Sera’s specialty."

I frowned. "What do you mean by her specialty?"

"Keeping things hidden." He paused. "She’s been gathering Vaelthorn wood and other supplies for almost a year."

My eyes widened. "For a year?"

"Yes."

"Why would she do that?"

Alpha Kael didn’t answer immediately. I instantly remembered the cottage. The casket. The black pieces of wood with silver veins.

"What exactly is Vaelthorn?"

"We’ll talk about it later."

I stared at him for a while before calling his name. "Kael."

"Later, Selena." Before I could complain, the trees began to thin and the old battlement appeared ahead.

Kieren stood beside a horse and he looked relieved when he saw us.

I shifted my attention between him and Alpha Kael.

Kieren lowered his head respectfully. "My Alpha."

Alpha Kael nodded.

Then Kieren suddenly asked. "What happened?"

Alpha Kael didn’t respond to him. Instead, he moved closer to me. "There is something you need to understand. You are not the only one planning a rebellion against the vampires."

My eyes widened. "What?"

He didn’t explain. Instead, he nodded toward Kieren. "Get dressed."

I stared at him. "Alpha Kael, what did you just say?"

"You heard me!"

"Who else is planning a rebellion?"

"Get dressed first." I wanted to argue but I knew that look. He wasn’t going to tell me yet.

Kieren handed me a bundle of clothes,I took them and hurried inside the battlement.

Once I was alone, I shifted back into human form then I quickly dressed up.

My hands were still trembling as I tried to process everything Alpha Kael had told me.

When I stepped outside, Alpha Kael was already dressed.

Kieren glanced toward the forest. "I’d like to wait here for Sera."

Alpha Kael studied him. "Why?"

"I want to make sure she returns safely."

Alpha Kael finally nodded. "Very well."

I climbed onto the horse while Alpha Kael mounted behind me.

The moment his arms settled around me, something familiar passed through my mind.

A memory of the first day we met in the forest at the pack border.

The fear and the uncertainty. I had been running from everything then and somehow, I had ended up sharing a horse with him.

Now I was sitting in almost the same position again but everything had changed.

I leaned back slightly. For the first time that night, the ache inside my chest softened.

I looked ahead before finally asking. "What about the other vampires?"

Alpha Kael’s arms tightened slightly around me. "I took care of them."

Before I could ask another question, he urged the horse forward.

The horse moved into the darkness, carrying us away from the old battlement.

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